Fun ways to liven up a teen's room

If you're tired of fighting with your teen about the crummy look of his room, step back and take a deep breath.

Stop fretting and start planning an environment you both can live with.

Paint is the most economical way to change the appearance and ambience of any room.

Let your soccer-playing son or computer-savvy daughter paint cool sayings, scenes, school name or favorite song on the walls--no foul language, of course.

"Yes, it's graffiti, but you can paint over it later," says Darla Hornberger, owner of Pat Scher Interiors in Newport News, Va.

Dedicate a section of wall and use magnetic paint under the wall color, says designer Tricia Turk of A Better Home Interior Arrangement in Hampton, Va.

"This gives the teen a space to display photos, letters, any memorabilia without damaging the wall surface," says Turk. "Chalk paint can be used to give very creative teens a place to express themselves."

If you feel a little more adventurous, suggest your teen paint his or her room to look like a geometric puzzle.

"I did it one time, painting each wall a different color, then letting each wall color overlap in a puzzle-like, haphazard way," says Hornberger. "It was fun looking."

Stumped on what colors to use? Use whatever bright color your teen prefers, says Darla. "I never think of colors as being in or out," she says. "You work with whatever you like."

The hand-painted look of cutouts also is a quick, creative way to liven up any room of the house, says Hornberger. Found in wallpaper books at stores such as Home Depot and Lowes, cutouts are simply pasted onto any wall. You can have a tree growing up the middle of a wall, a monkey climbing vines running along a corner or a bench waiting to comfort the tired.

"The window cutout is real looking," says Hornberger. "Plus you can add things, such as a shelf under the window cutout, for a 3-D effect."

Here are more room-enhancement ideas:

- Furniture. Oak and maple are durable hard woods, able to stand use and abuse for years. Furniture manufacturers are responding to today's technology-skilled young people with armoires, cabinets and stands to house computers, TVs, sound systems and game units. A sleeping unit that has the bed above and a futon below gives young people lots of flexible use in their room; trundle beds also accommodate friends for sleepovers.

- Storage. Control clutter by using attractive storage boxes, willow baskets or galvanized bins on shelves or under beds. Use a swivel bracket to get the TV up and out of the way in a convenient corner near the ceiling.

Modular furniture offers desks, shelving and drawer units where stuff can be stashed; knobs on modular pieces can be replaced with colorful, decorative ones found at home-improvement stores.

- Fabrics. Two-person sofas often fit nicely into small bedrooms. The key is to upholster them with a tough-use fabric. The new 100 percent polyester suedes cope with ketchup, mustard and other unwanted spills; just wash off the messes with no leftover stain. Denim always stands up to hard use, plus it comes in fun colors such as red, blue, green and even stripes.

- Accessories. Lamps, artwork, area rugs, throw pillows and picture frames are affordable ways for young people to make a personal statement. Scrapbooking is an excellent way to display memorable events: frame large "memory pages" highlighting the ring dance, homecoming football game or prom and group them on a wall.

- Lighting. Play up lots of lighting, using alternative sources such as Christmas lights or rope lighting for special effects.

Illuminate corners with up-style lighting.

- Window treatments. Use unconventional rods to drape fabric--baseball bats, twigs, anything to add a touch of whimsy or mystique.